With a Tainted Heart
by revivingophelia
Summary: This isn't the path Eve expected her career to take... And he's not the man she expected to be with. Eventual Eve/CM Punk. Featuring the New Nexus, Natalya, Cena, Orton, and others
1. Chapter 1

Title: With a Tainted Heart  
Author: Karen U  
Pairing/Character: Eve Torres/CM Punk, others  
Disclaimer: no one you recognize belongs to me.  
Rating: R/M  
Summary: it wasn't the path she expected her career to take... or the man she expected to be with.  
Spoilers: my own version of January 2011. I blame this fic on the fact that I spent way too much time re-watching the 2011 Royal Rumble match the other day  
Warnings: language, violence, adult situations

Part One

She heaved out a sigh as she weaved her way through the backstage area, a small frown on her face as she made her way down the hallway toward the locker room, a bottle of water in hand, the diva unable to shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen tonight... Of course, given the match she would be at ringside for, it wasn't too farfetched to think something bad would happen. Odds were that R-Truth, the man she managed, would likely try to convince her to stay in the back for the eight-man tag team match that he would be a part of. And while she couldn't necessarily blame him for it if he did try to get her to stay backstage, she also knew that he would accept it when she decided to go out there anyway. She was his friend and his manager, and she was going to be out there for his match... Even if he was facing CM Punk and the New Nexus. At least Truth had partners and it wasn't some sort of handicapped match or anything. And he had good partners, too... R-Truth would be teaming up with John Cena, Randy Orton, and John Morrison to take on CM Punk, David Otunga, Michael McGillicutty, and Husky Harris... The last three men being the ones that had actually gone through with Punk's psychotic initiation stunts the week before. Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater had shown that they weren't completely insane by refusing to take part in the end, and the two men had now defected to SmackDown and joined up with Wade Barrett again... Which at least meant that the match tonight really was four-on-four and that there weren't any other New Nexus members at ringside to interfere. Of course, there would still be eight men in and around the ring, which made things a little bit dangerous for her at ringside...

Shaking her head slightly, Eve made a face at that, the diva knowing that she wasn't going to chicken out just because of who R-Truth and the others were facing. She was smart enough to stay out of it, and she trusted the guys to look after her if one of Punk's goons tried to go after her. And maybe she could be a bit of a distraction and help the good guys win one or something. Even if she would probably get yelled at for putting herself in harm's way if it came to that.

The diva gave a slight shrug of her shoulders as she made it to the locker room she'd been heading toward - all four men had decided to meet up in Cena's locker room to talk strategy, and from the sound of things, it seemed they had all made it there. Of course, that didn't necessarily mean they were all decent yet, so Eve quickly lifted a hand to knock on the door to the locker room, pausing in the motion as she heard R-Truth say something.

"This is bullshit. They can't do this. We didn't agree to this stipulation-"

"But we agreed to the match," Randy Orton said, Eve easily able to recognize the man's deep voice. He sounded calmer than Truth did, though there was a definite underlying anger to his tone. "Apparently Punk either snuck the stipulation in there without us noticing, or he got it added afterwards."

"We've got to get it taken out," another voice said. This time it was John Morrison... Eve able to tell that more from the process of elimination than by immediately recognizing his voice. She just knew it wasn't Truth, Randy, or Cena that had spoken.

"Who do we complain to? The RAW GM is basically a computer. And Vickie Guerrero is the acting SmackDown GM with Teddy Long out of commission. She ain't gonna change this," John Cena said, the anger more easily evident in his voice than it had been in Orton's. "Basically, we're fucked-"

"What's going on?" Eve asked as she opened the door, the woman forgetting to even knock as she'd originally planned to do, her stomach tied up in knots from the words she'd overheard. Apparently, she'd been right that something bad was going to happen tonight... Because whatever the stipulation for the match was, it was obviously bad. It was also obvious that none of them wanted to tell her the stipulation, because none of them would even look at her. "Guys... What's going on?"

"CM Punk got a stipulation added to the match tonight," Randy Orton finally said, and Eve nodded slightly.

"Yeah, I got that much from what I heard through the door. What's the stipulation? Is it handicapped or something? You have to tag in but they can all be in the ring at once? I mean... Just tell me."

"It's none of those," R-Truth stated, the man still not looking at her. "Seems that, after we agreed to the match, Punk got something snuck in there. If we lose, the New Nexus will be getting a new member," he told her, and Eve swore softly, taking a step back.

"What? Who? Which one of you?" Eve wanted to know. She figured it wouldn't be Cena... If only because certain members of the New Nexus remembered what it was like when John had taken out every member of the original Nexus. They probably didn't want a repeat of that. Glancing around the locker room, Eve noted that none of the men would so much as look at her, and the feeling in her stomach got even worse. "What is it? Just tell me."

It was Morrison that finally spoke up.

"It's not one of us that they want. It's you."


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer, etc., in part 1

Part Two

Eve took a step back at the words, the diva looking around like she thought the guys were trying to pull one over on her and would say 'just kidding' and bust out into laughter over their bad joke at any second. When they didn't do that, when they instead remained silent and looking more than a little upset and uncomfortable, Eve shook her head, the woman finally speaking.

"That... That can't be right."

Cena made a face, looking like he wanted to hit something. "Yeah, well, it is. It was added as a stipulation to the match tonight-"

"We can't pull out of the match, either," Randy Orton spoke up, the blue-eyed man looking over at her and meeting her gaze. "If we do that, it counts as a forfeit, and if we forfeit... It doesn't do us any good because it means they get you as a manager by default."

"I... Why would they do this? Why would they want me?"

"To piss us off," R-Truth muttered, and Eve scowled at that. She wasn't just some pawn, some means to an end-

"And if they want all the gold - and something tells me Punk might want that - they need a diva. You've held the divas' title before. And this is a way to try and force you to join them," John Morrison said quietly. "Not many divas are currently working as managers. Of those that are... You and Maryse are the only ones that have held the divas' title before. They know you can do it. And you're a lot less of a bitch than Maryse is."

"Well, apparently, that's not working in my favor right now," Eve managed to say, though she knew that Punk choosing her wasn't just because he might want a chance to get all the belts in the New Nexus. Because she knew that Truth had to be partially right as well. She had been chosen because it would make the men in this room angry, and CM Punk wanted to make the men in this room angry. He wanted to make them feel helpless... And if he managed to force her to join the New Nexus because of a loss tonight, then he would definitely make them feel helpless.

"Eve, it's going to be okay. If we win tonight, then you're fine, and we're going to win tonight," Cena said then, the man looking over at her, and while she was pretty sure he wanted her to believe him when he said that, she also knew by looking at him that he had some doubts about his words himself.

"John-"

"It's four on four. It's not handicapped," Cena reminded her. "The four of us are better than the four of them. They've got Punk, sure... He's good. Better than just good. But Otunga and Harris and McGullicutty are still pretty green. Nothing more than rookies. Punk had Barrett banished from RAW, and he was the toughest thing the original Nexus had. Gabriel was the best athlete they had, and he left the Nexus to go to SmackDown with Barrett. Heath Slater doesn't matter either way, to be honest."

"You know they aren't going to fight fair," Eve said quietly. "They never do. Whether they've got Barrett or Punk as their leader, they're a bunch of cheaters. And they like to goad people."

"We won't get disqualified. We're not going to lose the match over something stupid," Morrison said, and Orton heaved out a sigh.

"I promise not to lose my temper and hit someone with a chair. No matter how much they piss me off. Scout's honor and all of that," the Apex Predator said, and Eve couldn't help but snort at those words.

"Somehow, I don't think you were ever a boy scout," the diva told the man, and he gave her the slightest of smiles.

"Well, yeah. That's true. But I'll hold my temper tonight. On the plus side, if CM Punk or one of his boys gets caught cheating, then they get disqualified, and we win... And you're not in the New Nexus," Orton said, and Morrison frowned.

"I still don't see how they could pull this stipulation off without one of us agreeing to it. I mean... When Cena was forced to join the Nexus originally, he had to agree to the stipulation that he'd join the group if he lost. Then they just cheated to win. None of us agreed to the stipulation tonight, and I know Eve sure as hell didn't," John Morrison said. "It makes no sense."

"Yeah, well, the RAW General Manager has been a computer for the past however long, and that doesn't make sense, either," John Cena tossed back. "Although how in the hell CM Punk convinced a computer to add a stipulation-"

"Maybe he knows who's really behind the computer," Orton said. "Or maybe they just conveniently forgot to tell us about the stipulation before we agreed to the match. It was always there, we were just never told about it. Whatever the case... There's no getting out of it now. Either we win, or Eve's a member of the New Nexus. Don't know about you guys, but I fully intend to make sure that doesn't happen."

"It's not fair," Eve said quietly, and Truth sighed.

"Look, we know it's not fair-"

"I'm not just talking about the damn stipulation. I don't even have the chance to do anything about it myself. I'm just at ringside. At least when joining the Nexus was on the line for Cena, he got to be the one wrestling for it. He's the one that stepped into the ring-"

"And what?" R-Truth questioned. "You wanna be the one gettin' in there with them? Because you'd sure as hell lose-"

"That's not the point. The point is that I can do nothing but sit there and watch and hope you guys win, and that it absolute and utter bullshit," Eve spat out, hating that he didn't seem to get it. From the looks on their faces, Orton and Morrison understood what she was getting at, and she thought Cena did, too, but R-Truth didn't seem to have a clue. She shook her head at him. "How would you like to have the future of your career based on whether or not someone else won a damned match?" With that, she turned on her heel, and headed for the door, not wanting to be around them anymore, at least not at the moment.

"Eve! Where are you going?"

"Away," the diva replied. "Don't worry. I'll meet up with you again in time to walk out for the match," she informed them before pushing open the locker room door and walking through.

And then she was gone.


	3. Chapter 3

disclaimer, etc., in part 1

Part Three

The diva stood near the curtain, waiting for the men to show up. She'd spent the largest portion of the show wandering around the backstage area, not really going anywhere particular. She hadn't wanted to go back to the divas' locker room; she hadn't wanted to answer the questions that would inevitably come up or try to explain why it was that CM Punk had decided that she needed to join the New Nexus. The truth was, she couldn't explain it. She had no idea why he had chosen her. There were other divas in the company, and some of them probably would have jumped at the chance to join the group, especially if it meant that they would help her to win the divas' title or something. And Eve didn't want that. She didn't want to be a part of the New Nexus and when she won the divas' title again, she wanted it to be because she'd won the pin on her own and not because some jackass interfered on her behalf.

Eve glanced over at the monitor then, making a face when she saw the graphic that was displayed there. The stipulation for the match had been announced on the show earlier, and the graphic for the match showed the four men of the New Nexus on one side - Punk, Otunga, Harris, and McGillicutty - and Cena, Orton, Truth, and Morrison on the other side. Her image had been superimposed in the center, and all night long it seemed that Cole and Lawler had been talking about how the eight men were technically fighting over her and making guesses as to why. Cole had suggested on no less than three occasions tonight that she must be having some sort of an affair with a member of the New Nexus and that this was their way of getting her in the group. Lawler had - rather logically - declared that if Eve were involved with a member of the New Nexus, then she could just join them of her own volition and that the match would be completely unnecessary. And despite the fact that she typically thought of Jerry Lawler as a bit of a perverted old man, well... For once, she actually kind of appreciated him because he was sticking up for her and calling Cole's ideas moronic. Of course, Lawler had also declared that maybe New Nexus was trying to force her to join them because one of the members had a crush on her or something and, well... That definitely didn't make her feel better about things, that was for sure.

"You okay?"

Eve jerked slightly at the sound of the voice, the diva so lost in thought for the moment that she hadn't even noticed that Randy Orton had come up to her. A quick glance around told her that he was the only one there so far: Cena, R-Truth, and Morrison were nowhere to be seen. "Where are the others?"

"On their way. I figured you would already be here. Didn't want you to be alone when Punk and his merry band of assholes showed up," the man known as the Viper said, and Eve had to fight the urge to shudder at his words. She'd been so lost in thought that she hadn't really considered what could happen if she was standing here alone when Punk and the New Nexus showed up... Especially if Lawler's theory that one of the members of the group had a crush on her happened to be true.

She sincerely hoped that Lawler was wrong in this case. The problem, of course, was that even if he was wrong, there still had to be a reason that they had done this... That they had chosen her. Or maybe a combination of reasons. It could be what Eve and the guys considered before... That they thought doing this was their best chance at getting someone that was capable of winning the divas' title and pissing off as many people as possible at the same time. She somehow found that theory less disconcerting than the idea that Lawler had put forth.

"Well, well, well... What do we have here? I thought it was a four-on-four match, and yet... I only see one of our opponents for the night. And, of course, our soon-to-be newest member," a voice rang out, and Eve didn't have to turn around to know that it was CM Punk. His voice was distinctive... And besides that, none of the other members of the group seemed capable of talking at times. Punk did all of the talking for them.

"Fuck off, asshole," Orton ground out, immediately stepping so that he was in front of Eve, his stance protective. Despite the fact that Eve liked to think she was a woman that could take care of herself, she didn't mind the gesture. After all, Punk's group had a total four people in it. Right now, she was just standing there with Randy.

"Well, you're not very friendly."

"Why the hell should I be? You're a piece of shit, Punk."

"And maybe I think the same about you. You are the one that, once upon a time, kicked me in the head and rendered me incapable of defending the world heavyweight championship. You cost me the title." Punk glanced beyond Orton's shoulder, looking at Eve for a moment. "Eve should remember that. She was there. She was the one conducting the interview with me when you ambushed me. You do remember that, don't you, Eve?"

"Leave her alone," Orton growled, not giving Eve a chance to reply, which was probably a good thing. Because she did remember that. She remembered it all too well. How upset she'd been over what had happened, how she'd wished she could have done something. But that was a long time ago now. And now? Now she'd rather stand with Orton than with Punk.

The leader of the New Nexus smirked. "Aw, look at Orton. Trying to play the hero. I think we both know that you're not the hero type. Maybe Cena is. Or at least he likes to think he is. Which is why it's going to be all the worse for him when he fails this time out." He sent Eve a smirk. "I look forward to working with you, my dear."

"You won't be working with her," Orton said, and CM Punk grinned at him.

"Don't be so sure about that."


	4. Chapter 4

disclaimer, etc., in part 1

Part Four

She stood quietly in the ring, the diva surrounded by the men that were basically going to be fighting for her freedom. Eve could sense them looking at her, Morrison mostly sending her sympathetic looks from his position standing next to John Cena. R-Truth stood at her right, alternating between looking over at her and glaring at the rampway that the New Nexus would be walking down shortly. Cena was on her other side, standing between her and Morrison. Cena had put his hand on her arm earlier, given it a squeeze, but now his attention was mostly focused on the ramp. Randy Orton stood behind her with his hands on her shoulders, and she knew that the gesture was meant to be comforting or reassuring. Funny, really, that a man that wasn't really known for his compassion toward, well... *anybody* was trying in some way to give her a little reassurance.

Eve jerked slightly as the music began to play - Punk's music, actually, not the music of the Nexus, which the others still walked out to whenever they weren't with CM Punk. They were with Punk this time around, though, and the brunette diva couldn't help but be struck by the fact that Punk and the New Nexus came out as a group, a single unit... And all four of the men she was out there with had walked out separately. She couldn't help but hope that wasn't a bad omen for the match. That the men that had come down as a unit would work as a unit to win and that the others wouldn't.

The hands on her shoulders gave a careful squeeze, and she could sense Orton's presence getting closer, so the closeness of his voice - almost in her ear - didn't surprise her when he spoke. "It'll be okay," he told her, and while part of her wanted to tell him that he didn't know that for sure, she knew he was just trying to make her feel better, so she nodded slightly, then moved to step toward the side of the ring as the New Nexus entered. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of CM Punk holding the ring ropes as if he expected her to exit there, but she ignored him, refusing to do so much as look his way as she went to leave the ring, stepping between the ropes as John Morrison held them open for her. Before she could hop down from the apron, however, a hand on hers stopped her, the diva turning her head to meet Morrison's eyes. He didn't say anything, just gave her a nod, his expression serious, the look in his eyes telling her that he was going to fight just as hard as Cena, Truth, and Orton were to win this match. To keep her from being forced to join CM Punk's group. She returned his nod with one of her own, then got down from the ring apron, making her way to stand on the outside at the proper corner as the bell rang to start the match.

Cena and Punk were the ones to start out the match, and Eve's close proximity to the announcer's table from where she stood allowed her to hear Michael Cole's snide remark as the man mused about why the man she managed - R-Truth - wasn't the one to start out the match that would seal her fate, the annoying announcer saying that maybe Truth didn't care enough about her to want to protect her. King replied by saying something about maybe they thought that Cena was the best chance to win, but after that, Eve tuned out the arguing between the two men, the diva instead having to work hard to follow the match that was unfolding in front of her. Technically, it was a four-on-four tag team match that meant only one man in the ring from each team at a time, but that wasn't really what was happening. There was too much interference, too many attempts at one-upmanship for it to really be a regular match. If Otunga tried to help Punk with a double-team on John, then suddenly Orton was there to send Otunga flying off the ring apron. R-Truth knocked Husky Harris out of the ring and started brawling so close to Eve that she had to run around to the other side of the ring, and even then she wasn't completely safe, the diva having to duck as Morrison flung himself out of the ring in an attempt to take out McGillicutty. Unfortunately, McGillicutty managed to duck, too, which meant that John Morrison would crashing into the barricade instead of one of his opponents.

Moving quickly, her eyes wide, the diva made her way over to Morrison to check on him, not knowing what to do to help him, but knowing she had to see if he was okay. After all, any risks he took tonight were at least partially in an attempt to help her. Yes, he and the others wanted to beat the New Nexus just to beat them, but she'd seen it in their eyes earlier: it wasn't just about that anymore. They all really wanted to help her out of the mess that she'd somehow gotten into through no fault of her own. And it was then, just as she was trying to help Morrison to his feet - the man leaning heavily on both her and the barricade that he'd crashed into - that it happened. The referee was distracted by both the brawl on the outside and her attempts to help Morrison, his attention away from the ring, where the two legal men were once again Cena and Punk - or maybe it was *still* Cena and Punk; she couldn't be sure that either of them had ever tagged out - and then, suddenly someone else was there. Someone Eve had never seen before. Someone that attacked Cena from behind, seemingly nearly taking the West Newbury native's head off with the hard blow. And then the man was sliding out of the ring, leaving John alone with Punk, and CM Punk was lifting Cena up on his shoulders for the GTS... And before Eve could do anything about it, before Morrison could reach the ring with a desperate lunge, it was over. The referee, no longer distracted, turned back to the match to find Punk pinning Cena, and he got into position... and counted the three. The match was over. The New Nexus had won.

And Eve, like it or not, was now a member of the New Nexus.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer in part 1.

Thanks to mikkithemizfit, eve my queen, tltharp11, Honey-RKOBeliEVER-LOVER, and Dawn1010 for the reviews to this one so far. I really appreciate them.

Part Five

She was pretty sure that her legs were about to give out. She could feel them shaking, and she had to reach out to grab onto the ring apron to hold herself steady as the music of the New Nexus played, signaling the victory of CM Punk and his team. The fifth man - the man she didn't know - was there as well, and if the fact that he'd helped Punk's team win hadn't been enough of a sign he was with them, the armband he wore made it obvious. And while Eve knew that Cena, Orton, Truth, and Morrison had been ready to deal with the cheating that was sure to happen in the match, they obviously hadn't been prepared for the New Nexus to bring in a new member to ensure their victory.

Taking a deep breath, Eve forced herself to stand without the help of the ring apron, the diva looking into the ring and finding John Cena sitting there, shock and horror on his face as he stared up at the men. For his part, Orton was throwing a tantrum on the outside, effectively destroying the announce table as he threw monitors around and ripped the top off the table. It took Eve a moment to realize that he wasn't just throwing his tantrum randomly... While the rest of the Punk's team were in the ring to celebrate their victory, David Otunga was still on the outside, and as Orton dragged the man up onto the table to deliver a RKO that caused the table to shake violently before it finally gave way, Punk didn't make a move to help Otunga, instead just smirking as he watched. Of course, this was the same CM Punk that had made the rest of the guys basically get the crap kicked out of them to even be a part of his version of the Nexus, so she supposed it shouldn't be too surprising that he'd let Orton take out his anger over the loss on Otunga.

As the New Nexus made their way out of the ring alongside their leader, Punk gestured toward Otunga, telling McGillicutty to scrape the guy off the remains of the table and get him to the back, the man going to do exactly that without question... Eve taking an automatic step back when another member of the group - Husky Harris - stepped in front of her, reaching out to grab her arm. She jerked away from him before he could touch her, and before he could even think about reaching toward her again, a voice rang out.

"Don't touch her!" the man snapped, and it took Eve a second to realize that it hadn't been Cena or Orton or Truth or even Morrison that had yelled at Harris... It had actually been CM Punk. When she looked his way, he seemed to be glaring at Husky Harris, and the man muttered something before stepping away from her, obviously annoyed to have Punk yell at him but not willing to piss off his leader. Taking another step back, vaguely contemplating just running away - which she knew wouldn't do any good, not in the long run - Eve jerked and bit back a scream when someone suddenly attacked Husky Harris from behind, nearly causing him to run into her, the diva having to scramble back out of the way to avoid the brawl that had just erupted, R-Truth having attacked Harris and Morrison quickly joining in... Cena had just gone nuts on the huge New Nexus member that none of them knew, but he was still a little loopy from the knock to the head, which meant Orton had to jump in to help after a few seconds, and as Morrison, Truth, and Harris rolled around on the damn floor, Eve found herself more or less backed into a corner and about to get pulled into the middle of the mess when all she wanted to do was get the hell out of there-

She couldn't help but let out a yelp when an arm suddenly reached out and grabbed her around the waist, lifting her over and out of the way of the brawl, then continuing on, the man getting her to the far side of the ring before he set her back down on her feet, and it was during that time that Eve used the process of elimination to figure out who it was that had picked her up. She knew it wasn't Harris or Truth or Morrison since they were the ones busy having the knock-down, drag-out fight on the floor, she knew it wasn't McGillicutty or Otunga since one of them was busy scraping the other off the floor and trying to get him to the back after an RKO through the announce table, and she knew it wasn't Orton or Cena since they were occupied with the newest - and currently unidentified - member of the New Nexus. Which, of course, left one man.

CM Punk.

As he put her down on her feet, she went to scramble away from him, still too upset and freaked out to really pay attention to where she was placing her feet, so she nearly managed to fall down as her heel twisted beneath her, but Punk reached out to grab her by the arms, hauling her back to her feet, his grip just a little too tight, but despite the way she felt about him and what had happened tonight, she didn't think he meant to hurt her. He was just trying to keep her from falling down.

"Why did you do this?" she spat out at the man, the two of them face to face, her high heels putting her close to his height, maybe a couple of inches shorter than him still, but tall enough to easily look him in the eye.

"I have my reasons," Punk told her, glancing around at the fights that were still occurring around them, Eve vaguely wondering how it was that CM Punk had managed to stay out of them. After all, he was the leader of the New Nexus. He was the one that had probably planned all this. But he wasn't one of the people that were currently in the middle of a fistfight... Fights that were now being broken up by officials.

"Yeah, and they probably all suck," Eve shot back at him, starting to turn and stalk off, but Punk still had her arm and he didn't let go of it, causing the diva to look back at him, her eyes shooting daggers at the man. His lips curved in the barest hint of a smile as he looked at her, almost as if he was somehow pleased by the way she was glaring at him. At the very least, he didn't seem bothered by it.

"You're a member of the New Nexus now, Eve," he reminded her. "I suggest you use the next week to get used to the idea."


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer, etc., in part 1.

Part Six

She stalked through the backstage area, pointedly ignoring everyone that was looking at her, her held high despite the fact that she wanted to bury her face in her hands and cry. She wouldn't do that here, not where people could see her. Not in a place where it could get back to Punk and the men of the New Nexus so that they could figure out a way to use her weakness against her. Eve knew she probably would cry - of course she would - but she would do it later, in the privacy of her own hotel room, where no one else could see her. And tomorrow, when she checked out of the hotel and headed on her way home, she would make sure that any sign of tears was completely wiped away.

She'd be damned before anyone saw her cry.

Taking a deep breath, Eve pushed open the door to the divas locker room and made her way inside, her gaze automatically going over the occupants of the room. The Bella twins - whom had become increasingly bitchy as of late during their pursuit of Daniel Bryan - were smirking, and while Eve really wanted to cross over to where they sat and wipe those smirks off their faces, she didn't. If she did, it would just be a sign that they'd gotten to her, that she was upset. She wasn't going to let them get to her, even though she knew they were amused at her predicament. Gail Kim, for her part, was basically ignoring her, which was fine. It was nice not to have all eyes on her, and she couldn't help but appreciate the glares that Gail was sending the way of the Bellas. She didn't know what they'd done to piss off the Asian-Canadian, but it was clear Gail wasn't happy with Nikki and Brie over something. Tamina was already on her way out of the locker room, the diva not saying a word to Eve, instead just briefly putting a hand on her shoulder before she walked out, the gesture letting Eve know that, unlike Nikki and Brie, Tamina wasn't happy about what had happened out there. Maryse and Alicia, on the other hand, looked even more amused than the Bellas did, the two women muttering to each other before Maryse burst out laughing. Melina was too busy shoving those awful furry boots she wore into her bag to even notice that Eve had come back into the room. That just left Natalya, and as Eve turned her head to look at the current divas' champion, she could see the sympathy there.

Sighing, the brunette made her way over to where Natalya was seated, reaching into her locker to grab her things, wanting to get the hell out of here as quickly as she could. She knew, however, that Nattie would try to strike up a conversation - it was just the blonde woman's way; she loved to talk - and Eve was okay with that, mainly because, unlike most of the others that were still in the room, Natalya didn't seem the least bit amused about what had happened tonight.

"You okay?" the Canadian asked, and Eve shrugged her shoulders, fighting not to show too much emotion because the last thing she wanted to do was break down right here.

"I've been better."

"I'm sure you have. The announcers had no clue who the new guy was. The one that attacked John Cena," Natalya informed her, and Eve nodded slightly. Not surprising. He was probably a new recruit that Punk had managed to get brought in. And really, who he was didn't matter at the moment. What mattered was that the guy had attacked Cena, leading to the end of the match. Leading to Cena getting pinned by CM Punk. The blonde woman frowned. "Do you have any idea why he chose you?" she asked, and Eve heaved out a sigh, glancing at the other divas in the room before responding to Natalya, keeping her voice low.

"Not a clue. I mean... I've been on RAW for over a year now. CM Punk just came over a few months ago, was hurt and doing commentary for most of that, and... We barely said two words to each other since he was traded here. Back before he did the who Straight Edge Society thing on SmackDown, when we were both over there, we got along fine, but that was a long time ago. And even then, we were just casual acquaintances that mostly said hello. We grabbed food together a couple of times when our flights out were delayed or later in the day and we were bored, but... We were never what could be called close... But I don't think I've done anything to make him want some sort of revenge on me, either. I have no idea why he would choose me to do this to." She shook her head. "And if he did it just to upset Truth and Cena and Randy and Morrison, then..."

"Then he was successful. Those four were pissed," Natalya said, and Eve made a face.

"Yeah, but if that's the sole reason he did it... Then I'm nothing more than a damned pawn, and I refuse to be a damned pawn," she spat out, having to fight to keep her voice low, and Natalya shook her head.

"I think there's more to it than that. And if he just wanted the guys to be angry and feel guilty over what happened... Eve, you were pretty much cornered and about to get knocked over by that fight out there. Morrison, Truth, and Harris were about to just bowl you over, and Punk got you out of the way. If it was all about making the guys feel guilty, he would have let Morrison and Truth knock you over and possibly hurt you. But he didn't."

"He yelled at Husky Harris, too. When he came up to me and tried to grab my arm. He told him not to touch me," the diva said, a frown on her face. Sighing, she shook her head. "I don't know what the hell CM Punk is up to. I'm sure it's not good. But sitting here in the divas' locker room isn't going to help me figure it out. I'm getting out of here," Eve said, rising to her feet to grab her things, then cursing.

"What is it?"

"I rode with R-Truth and Cena. After tonight, I'm not in the mood to ride back with them-"

"Then don't."

"Natalya-"

"I have a car. Ride with me. We'll have a girls' night... Watch stupid movies, talk about men, maybe even braid each others' hair," Natalya said, and Eve snorted at the last one.

"You don't have to do that."

"We're friends, Eve. I want to. So... What do you say?"

"Okay."

"Cool. Just let me grab my things."


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer etc., in part 1. Thanks to those that have reviewed so far. I really appreciate it.

Part Seven

Natayla took a rather vicious bite of her carrot stick, the blonde diva frowning as she stretched out on the couch, only sort of paying attention to the movie that was playing on the screen. "There has to be some way out of this. Some way that you can just say no to being in the New Nexus-"

"Yeah. I could quit," the brunette replied, shaking her head slightly as she concentrated on carefully painting her toenails a rather shocking shade of pink. She wasn't planning on anyone seeing her toes anyway, so it wasn't like it mattered what color she used.

"Eve-"

"The stupid anonymous RAW General Manager approved it. The guys signed and agreed to it-"

"Without knowing what was in it," Natalya argued, and Eve shrugged her shoulders.

"True, but it will just be said that it's their fault for not actually reading the contract for the match. Which, it kind of is. They should have looked at it more carefully. *I* should have looked at it more carefully-"

"You couldn't have known that Punk would add that in there!"

"Maybe not. But... I just feel like I should have suspected something. Like I should have known. Not necessarily known that they would slip in that particular stipulation, but that they would try something. And we all should have known they would have something up their sleeves to ensure that they would win," Eve said, the diva switching to her other foot, frowning as she thought about the huge guy that had interfered in the match that night. The man that was clearly a fifth member of the New Nexus. She supposed she was the sixth. At least the rest of the men had joined by choice. Or they were brainwashed. Whatever.

"Yeah, well, I'm not sure anyone could have prepared for what happened tonight. That guy that came out to help them? He's huge. Like Batista big. And he kind of looked like Batista, too. Only younger and possibly not as creepy," the divas' champion said, a frown on the blonde woman's face as she thought about it, then shook her head. "There's no way Cena and Orton and the others could have really been prepared for him. And now..."

"Now I'm a member of the New Nexus with those guys. All of them. Including the massive Batista look-alike," Eve muttered as she put the cap back on the nail polish, then lay back on the carpet, staring up at the ceiling. On the television screen, some random character was being chased by the killer in the horror movie they'd ended up watching - it was a Scream marathon currently on the second of the movies - but neither of them were paying enough attention to care.

"Maybe they won't make you stay a member for too long," Natalya said, then lifted a hand when Eve sent her an incredulous look. "No, hear me out. I know you don't like the idea that Punk did this just to piss the guys off, but... It's possible that's why he did it. And maybe he just wants to mess with them for a few weeks before he releases you from the stipulations."

Eve snorted, lifting herself off the floor just far enough and long enough to snag a carrot stick from the veggie tray they'd stopped and bought before heading back to the hotel. "I doubt that. I really do. Because if he just wanted to piss them off and mess with me for a few weeks, then he would have let me get bowled over tonight. We wouldn't have pulled me from that fight," the brunette stated. "He's got something planned, I'm sure of that, but it's not something that will just last for a few weeks."

"You worried?"

"I'd be stupid not to be. I'm stuck as a part of the New Nexus, and I don't trust any of them as far as I can throw them," Eve stated. "I have no reason to trust them. I mean... First of all, I wasn't asked to be a member of the New Nexus. Punk went behind my back to force me into the role via a stipulation in a stupid match that I wasn't even a part of-"

"Well, he knew that you would say no," Natalya reasoned, and Eve rolled her eyes.

"Well, duh."

"Hey, don't take the pissy mood out on me," the blonde tossed back, reaching for a piece of celery, dipping into some dressing before eating. "Or, okay, yeah, go ahead and be pissy with me. You deserve the chance to be pissy at someone, and I'm the one here."

"I have no reason to be pissy with you," Eve replied, shaking her head. "You're not the one that stuck a stupid stipulation in the contract for a match, then cheated to win the match to make sure I had to join the New Nexus. Why in the hell did they go to such lengths to make me join them?"

"Maybe one of them has a crush on you," Natalya said, and Eve reached up for a celery stick, then tossed it at the blonde.

"Not funny."

"Hey, I'm just repeating one of Lawler's suggestions-"

"Yeah, and Lawler is a perverted old man-"

"He could be right, Eve," the blonde said, and the other diva made a face.

"Well, there are better ways to get a woman to like you than to force her to join some stupid group," the brunette said with a scowl. "I don't understand it. Punk said he was looking forward to working with me. I think he said it just to piss Randy off, make it clear how confident he was, but..."

"When did he say that?"

"Backstage before the match. I was there first, then Randy showed up, then Punk and his guys," Eve said, frowning as she thought about some of the other things that Punk had said during that backstage encounter. Most specifically, his reminder of what Orton had done to him during his first world championship reign. Of the fact that she had been there when it happened. She shook her head. "It's no big deal."

"Eve-"

"It's not. I just... Damn it, this sucks."

"Well, you know, you could always try to pay them back for it. Make their lives miserable," Natalya said, and Eve gave a wan smile.

"Why not? I can pretty much guarantee they're going to do the same to me."


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer, etc., is in part 1. Thank you to all that have reviewed so far.

Part Eight

"The girl did not seem very happy."

CM Punk looked up at the sound of the voice... The Welsh accent having told him without him even needing to look that the man speaking was his newest recruit to the New Nexus, Mason Ryan. The man that had attacked John Cena earlier that night and helped Punk pick up the pin and the win against the West Newbury native.

"I suspected she wouldn't be. But it will work out in the end," CM Punk finally stated, his voice even as he spoke. He frowned as he folded his hands together, resting his chin against his interlocked fingers. "Things went as well as could be expected tonight." He smiled slightly. "The look on their faces when they realized what they'd agreed to... It was priceless. I thought John Cena was going to punch me in the face right then and there." He shot a glance over at Mason. "I think Cena might have a bit of a crush."

Mason Ryan frowned. "Or... Perhaps he just feels guilty."

Punk shrugged. "Possibly. Guiltier now that he was the one that was pinned. He's got to be wondering to himself... What exactly will we do to his precious little Eve?" the man said, then rolled his eyes as he took in the troubled look on Mason's face at that remark. Heaving out a sigh, the leader of the New Nexus rose to his feet, moving to stand in front of the man he'd recruited to be an enforcer for the group. Well, another enforcer, anyway. Technically, Husky Harris already was one... But Mason Ryan just looked a hell of a lot more intimidating. More in-shape, too.

"Mason... I already told you... We're not going to do anything to Eve," Punk reminded the other man as he stood there in front of him. He could see the doubt in the big man's eyes. It was his big concern in this thing it seemed. Mason had no problem whatsoever going after the men in the company - something CM Punk found to be a useful and admirable trait - but he wasn't going to go after any of the women. Punk actually found that to be a rather admirable trait as well. It was one he suspected other members of the New Nexus didn't necessarily have.

"But you just said..."

"I know what I said. I said that Cena would be worrying about what we might do to Eve. Not once did I say that his worries would be anything but unfounded."

Mason frowned, looking confused. "I'm not sure I understand."

Punk stepped back. "It's simple," he said, reaching up to tap at his temple. "I'm messing with their heads. Cena's... Orton's... Morrison's... Truth's... All of them. I'm messing with their minds. They're all wondering what I have in store next. Just what horrors I'll be putting Eve through. It won't ever cross their minds that I actually mean her no harm. They think I'm ruthless, remorseless, and that I'll stop at nothing to get what I want. That I'll do anything to take out anyone that's in my way," the leader of the New Nexus said, then shrugged. "And maybe they're right. But what they don't realize - at least, not yet - is that I don't consider Eve Torres to be in my way."

"The woman isn't happy. She's angry and scared."

"For now," Punk replied. "She has a backbone. She's not some little wimp. She won't just fall in line like some would. I knew that when I chose her. I can deal with it. Once she realizes that I mean her no harm - that none of us are a danger to her - she'll be okay. I'm not saying that it won't take awhile." He smirked slightly. "We could even use her a little."

"Use her?"

Punk rolled his eyes at the disapproving tone in Mason's voice at his words. The man really could be noble at times. That could be a problem. "We could let something slip in front of her... Or when she doesn't realize that we know she's there. Let her pass that information on to Cena and the others. Sit back and watch their surprise when what Eve told them doesn't happen. It would make them stop trusting her," Punk said, then frowned slightly, the man heading over to the window in the room, staring out. "That could make things needlessly complicated, though. Make her hate us more. In the long run, it could hurt things. It would make Cena and the others not trust her more quickly... But she's a smart woman. Eve would realize that we'd set her up to pass along false information." The wrestler shook his head. "It would make her hate us more, not less. It won't do to have continued dissention in the group. At least not for an extended period of time."

As he spoke, CM Punk glanced back at Mason Ryan, noting that the man looked a bit confused, which wasn't entirely surprising. That was one of the bright sides about having him in the group. He sat and listened and seemed to like that he was being confided in... But the things that were said didn't always seem to compute. And if the things didn't compute, then it was unlikely that Mason would be able to turn against him and spill the beans to someone else... even accidentally. And if he did spill the beans, then there was always the chance he wouldn't get it right anyway.

"Eve will end up becoming a productive member of the New Nexus, Mason. Sooner rather than later," Punk said after a moment, still eyeing the other man, and Mason Ryan frowned.

"If she isn't happy with us-"

"She will be. Or she'll learn to be. There are things that people want. Things that will make them happy. If I give Eve things that will make her happy, then she'll be a productive member of the group. And I can guarantee you, Mason, that I am going to give Eve something that will make her happy. It will be a first step. And the happier she is, the easier it will be to make her turn against Cena and Orton and the others. She's going to be the biggest asset that I've brought into the New Nexus. Just you wait and see."


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer, etc., in part 1. Thanks to those that have reviewed so far.

Part Nine

"I'm sorry."

Eve Torres looked up at the sound of the voice, the woman arching a brow as she saw John Morrison standing a few feet away from her. Sighing, she gestured to the stool next to her at the counter of the diner that was across the street from the hotel she and most of her coworkers had been staying in the night before. As he sat down, she turned her attention back to the French toast in front of her - she'd decided to splurge a bit and eat something she normally wouldn't allow herself to eat - the diva chewing and swallowing before she spoke.

"It's not like it's your fault. It's not like you knew that CM Punk had a brand new thug coming in to join the New Nexus last night. We all figured they would cheat... But none of us knew that someone else had joined the group," the woman stated, and Morrison sighed, accepting the menu that a passing waitress offered, quickly ordering something - probably the first thing on the menu or something - before he turned back to Eve.

"We should have suspected something, though. The guy was way too confident."

"Isn't he always way too confident?" Eve countered. "That's just part of being CM Punk, I think."

"Yeah, but the shit-eating grin on his face when the rest of us were told the stipulation for the match we'd already agreed to... He looked like he just knew that he and the Nexus would win. Looks like he was right."

"Bringing in that goon could have just as easily backfired," the woman replied, taking another bite of her French toast, then watching as the waitress put a cup of coffee down in front of Morrison and the man started adding creamer to it. Sighing, she continued to speak. "Things would have been completely different if the referee had spotted that guy going in there and attacking John Cena. The New Nexus would have been disqualified, and you guys would have won. The stipulation wouldn't have mattered."

"But instead the big lug somehow went unnoticed, he got some shots in on Cena, and Punk scored with the GTS and won the match," Morrison stated, shaking his head. He took a sip of his coffee, winced, then added some sugar to go with the creamer. Eve shook her head slightly as she watched him empty three packets into the drink... A drink that had started off very dark, but was now so pale it was hard to recognize it as coffee.

"Once the contract was signed, there wasn't a lot you guys could have done to stop it."

"We could have looked at the contract for the match more carefully before signing it, though. We just thought it was the usual basic thing and none of us like the New Nexus guys. Orton hates Otunga and Harris and McGillicutty because of the stuff they pulled as the original Nexus, and the same thing goes for me and R-Truth. Cena hates the Nexus guys and Punk since Punk decided to let everyone know that he was cleared to start wrestling again by leaving the announce table and attacking him. So we just signed on for the match and never even thought about what Punk might have up his sleeve. And yeah, we figured there might be a setup somewhere in there, but never once did we think it would involve you. Not until he told us."

"I don't blame you," Eve said, a little surprised by the fact that she actually meant it. After all, it would be so easy to blame the men for what had happened.

"Why don't you? We're all blaming ourselves. You may as well blame us, too. We didn't think. We signed a contract without paying attention to the contents, and it's changed your career." The man cut a look her way as the waitress set his food down in front of him. Eve had the feeling he wasn't going to do much more than pick at it. "John Cena hates himself right now. He's convinced that you hate him, too. He tried to call you last night. Even went to your room."

"I turned off my phone. And I wasn't in my room. Natalya invited me to hang out. Kind of have a pity party. I took her up on it. I needed the girl time. The only reason we're not still hanging out right now is because she had an earlier flight than me and she's already at the airport. I have another hour or so before I have to head out." She shrugged her shoulders. "I wasn't intentionally avoiding Cena or anything. I just... Needed some time. I'll catch up with him at some point, make sure he knows I don't blame him."

"I'm sure he would appreciate it... Even if he still blames himself. I think he just needs to know that you don't hate him for losing last night." Morrison paused. "He, uh, he's already demanding a match against the new member of the New Nexus. Whoever he is."

"He didn't have to do that."

"He wanted to," the man said, then sighed, looking over at her. "Do you have any idea at all why Punk might have done this? Some sort of plan involving you?"

"Other than to make you guys mad? No. I mean... Before last night, I never even knew I was on the guy's radar," the woman said, a frown on her face as she poked at what was left of her French toast with her fork. "He commentated on everyone's matches back when he was injured and being used as an announcer, so it's not like it's a big deal that he commentated on mine, too. Beyond making you guys angry, I can't imagine why he wanted to force me to join the New Nexus. If he wanted a diva in the group, he could have chosen someone else. Someone that would have joined willingly."

Morrison snorted. "Like who?"

"Like... Someone that would like the idea of having a bunch of goons to protect her. Maryse maybe? Or someone like her." Eve shrugged. "But not me. I wouldn't have joined if he'd asked."

"Which is why he found a way to make you join anyway," the man said, then heaved out a sigh. "This isn't over, Eve."

"Punk isn't likely to agree to a match for my freedom," the diva replied, and Morrison shrugged.

"Probably not. But there's still four of us that he's pissed off. And even if we can't change things... That doesn't mean we're going to stop looking out for you. We're not going to stop trying to fix this, Eve. I promise."


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer, etc., are in part 1.

Thanks to those that have reviewed so far.

Part Ten

On Monday night, after the match, CM Punk had suggested to Eve that she spend the next week getting used to the idea that she was now a member of the New Nexus.

Instead, she had spent the past week trying to forget it had ever happened. Not that she'd really had much of a chance to do that. After all, it seemed to be all anyone wanted to talk to her about. After having breakfast with John Morrison on Tuesday morning, she'd ended up seeing Kofi Kingston at the airport and, while she knew that his questions were asked out of honest concern, that hadn't changed the fact that she hadn't wanted to talk about it any longer. She'd already spent half the night talking about it with Natalya, then the morning talking about it with Morrison... Really, she'd just wanted to forget about it. But it seemed like everything was conspiring against her, because there had been no way to avoid it. She'd been asked about it on Twitter. Repeatedly. The WWE website had an entire story on it. More than one, actually. There had been an article wondering why CM Punk had chosen her and what his motives were, and then there had been a secondary article questioning how she would handle the situation she found herself in. Oh, and she couldn't forget the article that explored how the guys - especially Cena, who had been the one pinned - must feel after what had happened on RAW. So not just one article, but three. There had also been a fourth article, not really focused on her, but on the at the time unidentified new-comer that had helped out the New Nexus and was apparently now a member of the group.

And then there had been the rest of the WWE's programming for the week. The situation had been recapped so thoroughly on Superstars that she'd actually turned it off, feeling like they were showing the match in its entirety... And then there had been another recap on SmackDown. Not as detailed as the one on Superstars, but the end of the match had been shown again, as had the aftermath, including the part where CM Punk had rushed in and pulled her from the fray, keeping her from being knocked over and possibly saving her from an injury. Despite knowing what had happened - she had, after all, been there and done that - it had still been a little disconcerting to watch CM Punk rush over to get her out of there.

She'd changed the channel then, not wanting to watch the rest of it, and it was because she'd done so that she almost missed the fact that the man that had attacked Cena on RAW had finally been identified. That information had been sent to her by Natalya, the older diva having perhaps realized that there was a good chance that Eve would be avoiding watching too much of the shows this particular week. So it was through the divas' champion that Eve found out that the newest male recruit to the New Nexus was named Mason Ryan... and that he, like all the other guys in the New Nexus, would be taking part in the Royal Rumble on Sunday night.

The Royal Rumble.

It would be her first appearance since what had happened on Monday night, the diva having been told that she wouldn't be required to be at the Saturday live event before the Rumble. She would, however, be required to be at both the pay per view and RAW the following night... Probably just to walk out there and act as a valet for any matches that the New Nexus had. CM Punk would probably enjoy making sure she was out there as much as possible, constantly reminding Cena and Orton and R-Truth and Morrison that it was their fault that she was now in the situation that she found herself in. That she was a part of the New Nexus because of them.

"I'm not wearing a damned arm band," Eve muttered to herself, though she wasn't entirely sure that was the truth. Honestly, she wasn't sure what all she could be forced to do now that she was a member of the New Nexus. CM Punk was, technically, her leader, and Lord if that didn't scare her half to death. The guy seemed crazy as a loon sometimes, but Eve didn't really think that was true. No, she thought that Punk just wanted people to think he was nuts... He wanted people on edge, he thrived on being unpredictable and having people wonder what in the hell he was going to do next. The guy was a master manipulator; that much was a given. The trouble was, Eve didn't have a clue just how she fit into whatever plan he had right now... Whatever or whoever he was currently trying to manipulate.

Heaving out a sigh, the diva continued to pack her bag for the shows, carefully placing her wrestling boots in the bag, then jerking slightly at the sound of her cell phone ringing. Reaching over for it, she glanced at the incoming number, noting that she didn't recognize it... Eve fervently hoped that some fan hadn't gotten hold of it because she really didn't want to have to change it. Sighing, she lifted the phone to her ear as she pressed the button to take the call.

"Hello?"

"Eve?"

"Who is this?" she asked, frowning a little, the voice familiar, but the diva not sure whose voice it was.

"You can't tell? I'm so hurt," the man said, and even before he told her who it was, she had the sudden sinking suspicion that it was a certain leader of the New Nexus. "This is CM Punk."

She was right.

"How did you get this number?" she demanded, and she could practically hear him smiling on the other end of the line.

"Well, you are the newest member of the New Nexus. I needed a way to get in touch with you. It was provided to me."

"Well, I suppose I'll just have to change my number then."

"And I'll just have to find a way to get the new number," Punk countered, and Eve thought she heard him sigh on the other end of the line. "I didn't call you to argue. I just wanted to ensure that you would be bringing your wrestling gear with you for the shows this week."

"Of course I will. I always bring my gear with me, just in case."

"Good. I thought you were the type to always be prepared, but I wanted to make sure. You'll be needing it. I'll see you on Sunday," he told her, and before she could say anything else, he ended the call, leaving Eve standing there frowning... And wondering just what in the hell CM Punk had planned this time around.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer, etc., in part 1. Thanks to those that have reviewed so far.

Part Eleven

Sunday night. The Royal Rumble.

Eve took a deep breath as she sat there, the woman trying to gather herself before she got out of her car. Natalya had called her and asked if she wanted to ride together, but she'd declined, feeling the need to have some time to herself. A chance to try and prepare herself to face the men of the New Nexus. Despite the drive time, she felt no more prepared now than she had when she'd gotten in the car.

"Come on, Eve. You've got to do this. You can do this," the woman told herself, then forced herself to get out of the car, making her way around to the trunk, pressing the button that popped it open, then pulling out her bag of gear. As she did so, the woman became all too aware of a set of eyes on her, and she turned slowly, more than a little worried that it would be one of her new 'teammates'. Instead, she found John Cena standing there, the man's hands shoved in his pockets as he looked at her. The woman sighed as she looked at him. She hadn't talked to him over the past week, not because she was angry with him, but because she just hadn't been able to force herself to pick up the phone. Of course, aside from that first night - when Morrison had told her that Cena'd tried to call her - he hadn't tried to contact her, either.

"How bad do you hate me?" he asked quietly, his voice far more subdued than she was used to, and Eve heaved out a sigh.

"I don't. I know you didn't mean for it to happen, and I wasn't avoiding your call last Monday night. I was with Natalya having some girl time. That was all. As for not calling you back... I'm sorry. I just... Kind of a rough week."

"Yeah, I know. And it's kinda my fault."

"It could have just as easily been one of the others that got pinned instead of you," Eve told him. "That new guy - that Mason Ryan - is huge. He could have taken out Truth or Orton or Morrison just as easily. Blind-sided them like he did to you. And I'd still be in the same situation."

"I never meant for it to happen," he said quietly, stepping closer to her, and Eve knew he would have said more - could see it in his eyes that he wanted to say something - but it was at that moment that they were interrupted, another person coming up to them, though he remained a few feet away.

"So you did make it. I called to see if you needed a ride," CM Punk said, the man totally ignoring John Cena as the man stood there, and Eve knew that had to piss Cena off. John Cena was not a man used to being ignored, and he was not the type to like it, either. Punk arched a brow at her. "You didn't answer."

"I was screening my calls," the woman replied, lifting her chin as Punk took a step closer to her. He smirked as John went to stand in front of her protectively.

"Really, Cena? Don't you think it's a little too late to play the white knight in this scenario? You already failed to save your princess. She's a member of the New Nexus now. We won the match, and you and the knights of the round table signed off on the stipulation."

"We didn't know what it was," Cena growled, and despite the fact that he was mostly in front of her, she was standing enough to the side that she could see the muscle ticking in Cena's jaw. He was obviously furious.

Punk didn't seemed phased by the other man's anger. In fact, he seemed almost amused by it. "And whose fault is that? I suppose that, if nothing else, you've figured out that it's a bad idea to sign something without reading it. Lesson learned and all of that."

"You bastard-"

"Temper, temper, John-boy."

"You are going to pay for this," Cena said, starting to lunge for the man, and Eve, images of the rest of the New Nexus coming out of the shadows and attacking Cena all at once dancing in her head, quickly moved between the two men, facing Cena and putting her hands on his t-shirt covered chest. She shook her head as she looked up at him.

"John, no. Don't."

"You're protecting this piece of shit?"

"I'm keeping you from getting into a fight in the parking lot that could end with you not being a part of the Royal Rumble match," she replied, looking up at him, green eyes meeting blue. "You don't know who else is around," Eve said quietly, and she saw when it registered what she meant... That she was worried that the rest of Punk's cronies would come around and take him out. Even so, he looked like he was willing to take the chance for a moment, but then he sighed, stepping back. His gaze moved to Punk.

"This isn't over, you son of a bitch," Cena said before turning and walking away, his hands still curled into fists as he did so. Eve let out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding as she watched him walk away.

"How sweet. You protected me from the big, bad Cena," Punk mused as he came to stand beside her, and the diva sent a glare his way.

"No. I figured you had the rest of your jerk friends waiting around for an ambush if he so much as laid a hand on you. I want John to have a good shot in the Rumble tonight," she said, then arched a brow at the man. "I'm hoping that he throws you out. Preferably on your head."

"Ooh, not very friendly," the Chicago native returned with a smirk, then reached out to take her bag. Eve tried to keep it in her possession but, after a brief tug of war with the man, he managed to get it from her, slinging the strap up onto his own shoulder. "Come on. I'll show you to our locker room."

"Wait a minute. What do you mean- I stay in the divas' locker room."

"Not anymore you don't. You're part of the New Nexus now. You'll be staying with us during the shows."

"And if I don't want to?"

"Then I guess you can just add it to the list of things you don't want to do but do anyway," he replied, then looked over at her. "Did it ever occur to you that we don't mean you any harm?"

She gave him a look. "Did it ever occur to you that I'm too smart to fall for your shit?" she returned, surprised when he gave her a sudden grin. "What?"

"Nothing. Just thinking about how interesting things are going to be with you around. I think I'm going to like it."

"Too bad I can't say the same."


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer, etc., in part 1. Thanks to those that have reviewed/followed/favorited this fic. :)

Part Twelve

She made her way through the backstage area, very aware that each time she slowed down slightly, CM Punk did the same, the leader of the New Nexus making very sure that she stayed next to him instead of falling behind. Eve figured that he was worried she would try to make a break for it if he got ahead of her... Not that she was likely to do that, since he was currently carrying her bag, and she wasn't about to leave that behind. As they walked, she noted that Punk seemed almost hyper-aware of their surroundings, his gaze constantly darting around, and the diva figured it was because the man knew that he had plenty of enemies and that he was looking out for an ambush. After all, the men of the Corre were all here tonight for the Royal Rumble... The group that had come up on SmackDown after Punk had made sure that Wade Barrett was banished from RAW. The group was mostly made up of former members of the original Nexus, and they were unlikely to care for Punk after the stunts he'd pulled over the past few weeks. Then, of course, there were the four men that the New Nexus had taken on the week before at RAW. While Cena had held himself back from attacking CM Punk a few minutes before, he still had Orton, Morrison, and Truth to worry about.

"You know, if you didn't go around pissing so many people off, you wouldn't have to be so on-guard all the time, worrying about an ambush," the diva mused, once more startled when her comment earned her a grin from the man walking beside her.

"But I'm just so very good at it. And I feel that a person should always pursue what they're good at," he told her, then came to a stop outside of a locker room door. A door that had a sign for the New Nexus on it. Interestingly enough, CM Punk's name was on the door as well, as if he was being kept separate from the rest of the group. Strangely, though, his name wasn't the only one singled out from the rest of the group. Below his name but above that of the New Nexus was her own name. Frowning, she stared at it for a moment, then looked over at the man next to her.

"What is this?"

"Your name. A reminder that you're a part of the team now-"

"I don't want to be a part of the team."

"You will," he replied, then continued speaking before she had a chance to snap back about him being wrong about that. "I assume that you have your gear with you tonight."

"Of course. You called me about it. I always bring it anyway, just in case. Though I had to assume that whatever you have planned is going to happen on RAW. The divas' match is already booked for tonight, and I'm not a part of it," Eve told him, frowning slightly at the thought of it. Natalya was booked to face both members of LayCool - Layla El and her bitch of a best friend Michelle McCool, the WWE's resident mean girls - in a handicapped match. Not only that, but Nattie's divas' title was going to be on the line. It wasn't fair, but that was the way it was.

CM Punk arched a brow at her. "Don't be so sure about that," he said, and it took Eve a moment to realize that he was replying to her comment about not being a part of the match. She frowned as she looked at him.

"Excuse me?"

He reached out, his hand brushing some hair back over her shoulder, the man arching a brow when she flinched away from him at the motion. CM Punk looked like he wanted to make a comment about her reaction, but he didn't, instead responding to her questioning of his comment. "I believe you heard me. I said you shouldn't be so sure that you aren't a part of the divas' match tonight."

"But that makes no sense. Natalya's defending the title against Layla and Michelle in a handicapped match-"

"Which really isn't fair, is it? If anything, it should be triple threat, not handicapped. Every woman for herself. No co-champions. And better yet... It should be a fatal four-way. With you as the fourth competitor."

Eve shifted her weight as she stood there, the diva torn between a rush of excitement at the idea of getting a title shot... and a slap of guilt over the idea of her friend - a woman that had taken the time to try and cheer her up the week before - having to defend against three people instead of just two. Of course, a fatal four-way was a little more fair than a handicapped match. Layla and Michelle wouldn't be able to gang up on her if it was every woman for herself and they each had their hands full with dealing with another competitor. "I don't understand. You can't just... make matches, You can't just put me into a match-"

"Maybe not. But I can make the RAW general manager see how beneficial it would be to change the match to a fatal four-way. After all, there is only one title for the divas now. No split where there's a title on RAW and a title on SmackDown. Just doesn't seem fair to have two SmackDown divas competing when only one RAW diva is. On top of that, it's handicapped, meaning that it's even more in favor of SmackDown's divas. Completely unfair. It would be much more fair to have a fatal four-way in which there are two SmackDown divas and two RAW divas. Really, it didn't take much convincing," he told her, then arched a brow, meeting her eyes. "I did tell you to have your gear with you."

"But you didn't tell me why." She took a deep breath. "Am I really in the divas' title match tonight?"

He nodded. "You are. I called you after I got the official news from the RAW GM... Whoever that really is," he said, rolling his eyes. After all, the RAW general manager was still anonymous and had to be contacted through email, which was just ridiculous. "Anyway... You've got a match tonight. So I suggest you get ready for it."

"This doesn't change anything. Putting me in the title match... It doesn't change how I feel about you and the rest of the New Nexus," she told him, and the man shrugged.

"I didn't expect it to."


	13. Chapter 13

Thanks to all that have reviewed/followed/favorited this one. :)

Disclaimer, etc., in part 1.

Part Thirteen

She stood quietly in the bathroom of the room that the New Nexus had been assigned, Eve feeling a bit relieved to know that, no matter how nuts CM Punk was, he hadn't been stupid enough - or crazy enough - to actually expect her to change with the others. He'd calmly informed her that, on any night that they were assigned to a room that didn't have a bathroom for her to change in, the rest of them would leave to give her privacy while changing... The room tonight, however, did have its own bathroom, and Eve had to admit that she'd dawdled a bit while getting ready. After all, she sort of figured it would be her only chance at privacy tonight... She knew she'd be spending the rest of her time surrounded by CM Punk and his lackeys... Including the exceptionally large man that had joined the group the week before, the man that had attacked Cena and cost him the match... The man whose interference was the reason Eve was now stuck as a member of the New Nexus

Eve had already decided that she didn't like the guy - Mason Ryan - very much. In fact, she liked him about as much as she trusted CM Punk... Which was to say, she didn't like him at all.

The diva jerked at a sudden knock on the door. Making a face, she shot a look at the closed - and locked - door, the woman knowing without having to look that the person knocking was CM Punk. Turning her back to the door, the woman didn't answer the knock, didn't even acknowledge it, instead returning to the task of putting on her lipstick.

"I know you can hear me. I suggest opening the door," Punk called in. "Your match is probably in about fifteen minutes. If you're not out here in three minutes, I will be sending one of the guys to get the tools necessary to take the door off of its hinges."

Eve shot a glare at the door at that, the woman shaking her head and grabbing her necklace from the counter before reaching for the lock on the door. Some small part of her entertained the idea of staying inside, just to see if CM Punk made good on his threat, but the thing was, if her match really was coming up that quickly, then she didn't need to waste the time by staying in the bathroom just to annoy the men on the other side of the door.

Heaving out a sigh, she unlocked the door and opened it, arching a brow at the man that was standing there. "I'm almost ready," she told him, glaring when he tugged the door further open, the woman shaking her head as she started to reach up to put her necklace on... Her eyes widening in surprise as he reached out and took it from her, his fingers curling around the black leather cord that had a gold charm that spelled out 'believe' attached to it. "Hey! I'm planning to wear that-"

"Then turn around so I can put it on you," he told her, and the look that CM Punk was giving her made her think that arguing would be useless - and trying to grab the necklace back from him might just end up causing the damned charm to somehow get broken - so she rolled her eyes and turned her back to him, crossing her arms over her chest as she stood there. She stood very still as Punk put the necklace into position, frowning slightly as the man sighed. His voice was very close when he spoke again. "You know, it would help if you would move your hair out of the way."

"Why would I want to do anything to help you?" Eve muttered, unable to stop herself, and she thought she heard Punk sigh again.

"It will keep your hair from getting tangled in the clasp," he said after a moment, and since that was probably true, the diva did go ahead and pull her hair out of the way, trying not to pay too much attention as CM Punk worked on the clasp, his fingers occasionally brushing her skin as he did so. Once he had it done, the man stepped back from her, and Eve dropped her hair, turning around again, not wanting to have her back to this particular group of men for any length of time. As she turned around, she saw Husky Harris avert his gaze, and the diva rolled her eyes, pretty sure the man had just been looking at her ass a few moments before. Creep.

"Have they even announced the change to the match yet?" Eve asked, the diva a bit suspicious about whether Punk had even told her the truth. Maybe he was just telling her that she had a shot at the divas' title only to take it away again... Tell her he was lying or something.

"Not yet. It will be soon. You're being added as a surprise." Punk turned and rummaged through a bag that was sitting on a bench, retrieving a sheet of paper. He held it up to show it to her. "It will be announced just before the match. The anonymous GM's computer will go off, Cole will read the email stating that there's a change to the match, and I will be the one to announce what the change is. Then you'll come out, and the match will start."

Eve shifted slightly as she stood there. "Are you planning to stay out there for the match?" she asked stiffly, and he arched a brow at her, smirking slightly.

"Do you want me to?" he questioned, stepping closer to her, and Eve couldn't help but let out a rather unladylike snort at that.

"No. I don't want you - or anyone else in the New Nexus - anywhere near me or my match tonight," she retorted.

Punk shot her a mild look that let Eve know he really hadn't expected any other response from her. "You sure about that?" he asked, pushing the issue a little bit anyway. "It could make a difference-"

"I don't want you or any of your lackeys to interfere. I want to be the divas' champion, but if I win the title, I'm going to do it on my own. No outside help. Just my own abilities," she snapped out, and he eyed her for a moment, then nodded, smiling slightly.

"Fine. Have it your way. This time."


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer, etc., in part 1.

Part Fourteen

CM Punk made his way over to the door to the locker room, the paper that he'd shown her earlier in his hand. Glancing back over his shoulder, he looked at Eve, then slid his gaze over to one of the others in the room.

"McGillicutty. Escort Eve to the steps leading to the stage-"

"I told you that I don't want any of you out there for my match!" Eve protested, her hands already on her hips as she went over to the leader of the New Nexus, glaring up at him. Punk arched a brow as he looked down at her.

"I'm aware of that. As I said... You can have it your way about that. This time."

"Then why-"

"I didn't order him to stand at ringside for your match. I told McGillicutty to take you to the steps leading up to the stage. He will wait there, not going out unless absolutely necessary during your match, and he will walk you back here after your match," CM Punk informed her, and Eve tilted her head to the side, looking at the man, her expression defiant.

"Why? Because you're so worried that I might run off?"

"Not likely." He nodded toward her bag. "Your street clothes are still in here. As are your car keys. You wouldn't get very far without them," he said, smirking slightly when Eve simply glared at that. They both knew he was right, but damned if Eve was going to admit it. He arched a brow as he looked at her. "It's for your protection."

"My protection? Please-"

"You're part of the New Nexus now-"

"Not by choice," Eve snapped out, not sure of the looked that briefly crossed Punk's face as she said that. The woman glared at him. "I was forced into this. And none of the guys that are pissed at you over last week are going to come after me. Morrison, Cena, Orton, Truth... They're not going to hurt me-"

"I'll give you that. I think you're right there," Punk told her. "But they aren't the only people here tonight. Both rosters are here. The SmackDown roster is here."

"I'm aware of that."

"Meaning that The Corre is here," CM Punk continued, rolling his eyes as he said the name of the other group. "They may have a stupid name and be a bunch of losers, but... They're vindictive losers. Wade Barrettt especially doesn't like me. And before you ask what that has to do with you... I know you're an intelligent woman, Eve Torres. You have a brain. Use it."

Her gaze narrowed angrily at his words, though she did realize that there was a bit of a compliment buried in there... He had, after all, acknowledged that she was intelligent. It was just that he'd also implied that she wasn't *using* her intelligence at that moment. "Look, Punk," she said, emphasizing his name in such a way that it sounded like an insult, "I don't care-"

"You should care. And trust me, if you walked to the curtain alone and Wade Barrett or one of his lackeys came out and attacked you... You would care," he told her. Stepping closer to her, he leaned down so that he was looking her right in the eye, the man right in her face. He was so close that she could see the different shades in his eyes, and though she desperately wanted take a step back, she knew that doing so would make her seem weak or like she was conceding something, and she refused to do that. "Wade Barrett would not care that you're a woman. He would not care that you don't want to be a member of the New Nexus. All he would care about is that you *are* a member of the New Nexus. That's all. He would care that taking you out of action would hurt the New Nexus." He arched a brow at her, his gaze flicking over her face. "I'm not going to let that happen."

Eve crossed her arms over her chest, trying not to look like his words had shaken her... Because the truth was, they had. Mostly because she knew he was right. Wade Barrett was ruthless, and the man had it in for Punk. After all, CM Punk had taken the Nexus away from him, even stealing most of the members of the group... Only losing two of them - Heath Slater and Justin Gabriel - when the men had refused to take part in the initiation that Punk had planned. "You don't know-"

"Don't insult us both, Eve. You know I'm right. I know I'm right. I am not doing anything more than making sure that you actually get to take part in that match... And make it back here in one piece afterward. Michael McGillicutty will walk you to the curtain area. I will go ahead of you to make the announcement. During the match, we will stay in the back as long as it seems that things are under control." He shook his head when she opened her mouth to protest. "And by 'under control' I mean that there are no members of The Corre out there to attempt something. As long as they stay backstage where they belong, whether you win or lose the divas' match tonight will be completely up to you and what you do in there. Understood?"

"Understood," Eve snapped out, her voice clipped, and Punk smirked slightly at that.

"Good. As long as things are under control, McGillicutty and I will remain in the back, waiting for you. Once the match is over, we will walk you back to the locker room, once again, for your safety. I don't trust Barrett not to try something."

Eve smirked. "Well, it's not like he doesn't have a reason to pull something. You stole his group from him and got him thrown off RAW."

Punk smirked. "How nice of you to notice," the man said, then tilted his head, his smile widening. "By the way, friend or not, you might want to steer clear of Orton tonight," he told her, and Eve's gaze narrowed as she looked at him.

"What did you do?"

"Nothing much. We were just a little bored earlier. While you were taking so long to get ready." He smirked. "We might have interfered in the WWE title match-"

"What? You didn't-"

"We did. Randy Orton isn't going to have the title, not if I have anything to say about the matter. Which I do," Punk told her, then shrugged. "Don't worry, Eve. There wasn't anything you could do to stop it." He glanced at McGillicutty. "Make sure she gets to the ring without incident."

"You're an asshole," Eve told him as Punk went to the door, and the man shrugged.

"Maybe I am. And maybe I was just giving Randy Orton exactly what he deserved," Punk told her, meeting her gaze for just a moment longer, his hand on the open door.

And then he was gone.


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer, etc., in part 1.

Part Fifteen

Eve made her way down the hallway, very careful not to look at anyone. She was glad that she wasn't walking down the hall at CM Punk's side, but having McGillicutty's hulking presence behind her like some sort of bodyguard - which, she supposed, was kind of what he was at the moment - was a bit a disconcerting, too. And while Eve had no desire whatsoever to be walking down the hall with a member of the New Nexus, she figured that it could be worse than having to walk around with McGillicutty. She figured Harris - who she kept catching staring at her boobs or ass - would be worse. So would Otunga and that Mason Ryan guy. So, really, Michael McGillicutty was the lesser of all the evils... But that didn't mean she had to be happy about it.

Shaking her head slightly, the diva glanced over her shoulder at the man behind her, noting that he was paying at least as much attention to their surroundings as he was to her. Clearly, he was looking for a possible attack from somewhere, and it was worth a bit of a freak-out to think that he had reason to do so... And she knew he did. Maybe Orton and Cena and Morrison and Truth meant her no ill will and actually wanted to help her, so they wouldn't be likely to attack for fear she would get caught in the crossfire... Well, Cena and Morrison and Truth wouldn't. The fact that the New Nexus had cost him his chance at the title maybe twenty minutes ago might make Orton angry enough not to care about who was around when he went for his revenge. Which, considering the damage she knew a guy like Orton was capable of, was a little scary. But not as scary as the knowledge that Wade Barrett and his stupidly named 'The Corre' likely wouldn't give a damn who else got hurt if they came out for the attack. So yeah... As much as she hated having McGillicutty there, she understood the reason for it, and it was kind of good to know that he actually took the threat seriously.

"We should stop here," McGillicutty said suddenly, stepping around her so that he was in front of her instead of behind her, the man gesturing toward an alcove off to the side, though he didn't touch her. For that, Eve was grateful. So far, the only member of the New Nexus that had dared to touch her was CM Punk - and that had only been to pull her from the fray and keep her from falling the week before, then to put her necklace on her tonight - and she wanted to keep it that way. Well, Husky Harris had been about to grab her arm the week before, after the match, but a sharp word from Punk had put a stop to that.

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Why?"

"Because the others haven't been announced yet," the man replied, pointing to a nearby monitor. The match between Edge and Dolph Ziggler for the World Heavyweight title had just ended - with Edge retaining thanks to Kelly coming out and making Vickie Guerrero pay for trying to interfere - and the still-champion was just now making his way to the back.

"So?"

"So... You're a surprise competitor-"

"Who a bunch of people probably just saw walking through the hallway in her ring gear," Eve tossed back, gesturing toward what she was wearing, and the man shrugged.

"Maybe. But LayCool and Natalya haven't seen you yet," he replied. "I was told to keep you out of their line of sight. I don't walk you to that curtain until they've been introduced," he told her.

"Fine," Eve snapped out, the diva once more finding herself feeling a little guilty over what was happening. After all, Natalya was her friend... Natalya had been the one to hang out with her the week before after this whole mess had happened, and now? Now she was being put into a match in which Nattie had to defend her title. She was trying to take the title away from the other woman-

"If you don't take the title from her, someone else will," McGillicutty stated suddenly, and Eve looked up at him, the woman all too aware of the look of surprise on her face at his words. He shrugged. "Punk said you would feel guilty."

The surprise turned to suspicion. "Oh, he did, did he?"

A nod. "He knows Natalya is your friend. But this is the WWE. Titles change hands. And if you aren't here to make an impact, then why be here? The divas' title is the only one around for the women. If you want it, you have to fight for it. Friend or not. Or did you plan to just sit there and let her have it until someone else took it from her, then try to get a shot?" he asked, and for some reason Eve felt like his words were as much CM Punk's as they were his own, and the thing was, she was probably right about that. Unfortunately, what he was saying was right, too. If she wanted the title, then she had to go for it.

"Honestly, I didn't know when I would get the chance at the title. Everything's been about LayCool and Natalya for a little while now."

"That's because those idiots in LayCool make it about them," the man said with a sneer, the look on his face saying that he probably thought LayCool was about as annoying as she did. "Natalya's the champion, which means that it should be about her. So... Now you can make it about you."

Eve shook her head slightly. "Why is it that you seem to be sounding more and more like CM Punk as you're talking?" she asked, and he glanced out of the alcove they were standing in, likely to see if it was time to head out there yet.

"Maybe I do. But he's not wrong, you know," McGillicutty replied as he stepped out into the hallway again, gesturing for her to come with him, once again not touching her. She wondered if he was on orders not to do so.

"Whatever," Eve muttered, her only reply as they made their way toward the steps leading up to the curtains and the stage, just in time to see Punk slip through the curtains and step out there to make the announcement that the RAW GM had added Eve to the match. Shaking her head, Eve took another step forward, pausing at the sound of McGillicutty's voice.

"It's a fatal four-way, you know. Technically... You don't have to fight your friend. Not really. You can take the fight to Michelle and Layla. It doesn't matter who you fight out there. All that matters is that you're the one that gets the pin," he said, and Eve nodded slightly at that.

"I know."

But as true as his words were, it didn't change the fact that she was going out there to try and take the title from her friend.


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer, etc., in part 1.

Thanks to everyone that has reviewed/favorited/followed this one. :)

* * *

Part Sixteen

She'd won the divas' title.

It still felt more than a little surreal... Going into the night, all she'd known was that she was now a member of the New Nexus - whether she wanted to be or not - and she'd never expected to have a match. She'd never expected to be in the divas' championship match. But somehow CM Punk had gotten her added to the match, a second RAW diva to balance out the two SmackDown divas that were already in it, and now, she'd won the match, pinning Layla after hitting the woman with a moonsault. A part of her felt bad for it, because she had taken the title from Natalya, but she knew deep down that if she'd been the champion and Natalya had been a last-minute addition to the match, then the Canadian woman would have fought to become the new champion just as hard as she had.

That didn't change the fact that she'd just taken the title from her friend. And even if Natalya believed it when CM Punk had said during his pre-match interruption that Eve hadn't known about the 'present' he'd secured for her until she'd gotten there that night, it didn't change the fact that Eve knew things would probably be different between her and Natalya for awhile. Strained, even.

"Better you than them."

Eve jerked at the sound of the voice behind her on the stairs, the woman quickly twisting around to see that Natalya wasn't far behind her. "I didn't know. Until I got here tonight, and after that... I've been in the New Nexus locker room. I think they were afraid I'd run away and never come back if they let me out of their sight."

Natalya arched a brow at that, then glanced a few feet away, where McGillicutty was waiting to escort Eve back to the locker room. "Given the evidence, I kind of have to believe you on that one," the blonde woman said, then heaved out a sigh. "I'm not happy about losing the title, but it's not like I could expect you not to fight for it. I believe that Punk had you put into the match as a surprise. And I'd be pissed at you if you hadn't tried to fight for it. I'm not McCool. I don't want some lackey trying to get in my good graces," Nattie said, then gave a smirk. "You know I've got a rematch, right?"

"I know. And I know you'll bring it when the time comes."

"Damn straight I will," Natalya said, then glanced over at McGillicutty again. "Your assigned goon is looking a bit impatient."

"He probably has to get ready for the Rumble," Eve muttered, vaguely wondering if they were going to shoved her in the locker room and lock the door or something while they were in the Rumble match. Honestly, she wouldn't put it past them.

"Yeah, well, I hope he gets thrown out real early. The same for the rest of them. You know what numbers they picked?" the woman asked, and Eve shook her head.

"I don't know if they even talked about it. I've spent most of the show locked in the bathroom under the guise of changing into my ring gear. I took as long as I could... Long enough that Punk threatened to take the door off the hinges if I didn't get out of there in three minutes or something."

Natalya smirked at that, giving a nod. "Good. Don't make things easy for them."

"I don't intend to," Eve said, then glanced over, noting the way McGillicutty was shifting from foot to foot as he stood there, and the new divas' champion kind of got the feeling that the man was possibly contemplating what Punk would say or do if he didn't get her back to the locker room pronto. After all, the match was over now, and she knew she was supposed to be escorted right back to the locker room... And so far, McGillicutty was the only one that she thought might possibly not be completely evil. Or, at least, he was capable of carrying on something that resembled a conversation, which was one mark in his favor. Of course, being a member of the New Nexus was worth about a zillion marks against him, so... Shrugging, the diva looked back at her friend. "I'll see you later, Nattie."

"Count on it. I mean, you're definitely going to see me in the ring in the near future," the blonde woman said, and Eve nodded in acknowledgement of that inescapable fact before she headed over to where McGillicutty still stood and waited for her, the new divas' champion arching a brow as she looked up at the man.

"Oh, look, my very own guard to escort me back to my cell," she drawled, and he rolled his eyes at her as they began to walk in the direction that the locker room was in.

"You aren't in prison."

"It certainly feels like I am. Not allowed to choose who I spend time with, not allowed to go anywhere without a guard."

"Most prisoners don't get perks like championship matches."

"All he's doing is trying to dress it up, maybe get me to let my guard down. It's not going to work. I don't like you guys, and I don't trust you guys. I don't want to be a part of this group. And for all I know, his real plan for tonight was less about getting me a title shot and more about making Natalya mad at me by putting me in the match. Newsflash: it didn't work," the diva told him, giving him a look before quickening her pace, all too aware that McGillicutty did the same, the man not letting her get more than a few steps ahead of him. Of course, if the Corre was out and about, it was probably a good thing that he stuck close to her. It didn't mean she had to like it.

"Maybe he was just trying to do something nice for you," McGillicutty said, and Eve let out a short laugh.

"Please. CM Punk wouldn't know nice if it bit him in the ass. There is a manipulative purpose behind everything he does. But get this straight: he's going to learn very quickly that I'm not so easy to manipulate."


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer, etc., in part 1.

* * *

Part Seventeen

"I knew you could do it."

He sounded entirely too satisfied, almost smug, as he reached out and tapped his fingers against the title belt that she now carried over her shoulder. Much of the exhilaration she'd felt upon becoming the divas' champion faded as she stood there, staring at the man that had made it happen. Yes, she'd won the match on her own, hadn't needed his help or anyone else's... She'd won the title in a fatal four-way much the same way she'd lost it in a fatal four-way to end her first title reign. But the problem was, the only reason she'd been in the match at all was because of the man standing in front of her. She knew it, and he knew it... Hell, all the WWE fans knew it, the people in the back... Everyone. She wouldn't have gotten this opportunity if not for him and his manipulative ways.

CM Punk must have seen the look on her face, must have somehow understood what she was thinking, because he suddenly stepped closer to her, his eyes locked on hers. "You won the match all on your own. It doesn't matter how you got into it."

"Yes it does. And sometime soon, I'm sure you'll tell me what you want in return for getting me the title shot," the diva said, trying not to look as panicked as she suddenly felt, but she must not have been entirely successful, because Punk's gaze hardened as he looked at her, the man seeming almost insulted. He leaned forward, his forehead almost touching hers, and if not for the fact that the rest of the New Nexus was there and she didn't want to be seen as someone that backed down, Eve would have backed away. Instead, she stayed right where she was, Punk's face just a couple of inches from her own.

"All I want from you is for you to keep winning. Title doesn't mean much if you lose on your first defense. So keep the title. That's all I want from you. I don't need to try and force any woman to do anything," he told her, his voice so low that she was probably the only one that could hear it. His eyes stayed locked on hers for another moment, and then he stepped back, clearing his throat, the man addressing the occupants of the room at large. "The Royal Rumble match will be starting shortly. I trust you all know what you're supposed to do?"

"Eliminate as many non-Nexus members as possible. Bonus points if we take out the Corre," McGillicutty replied with something of a smirk, and Punk nodded.

"That's about right. Another bonus for whoever dumps Cena over the top rope," the leader of the group said. "And most importantly, make sure that I win. That I'm the one that walks into WrestleMania with the title shot." That said, he turned to look at Eve. "You will be walking me out for the match."

Her eyes widened slightly at that. It wasn't often that a woman walked one of the guys out for the match, mostly because the match itself could be so dangerous. Staying at ringside was kind of like holding up a sign that said 'here I am, throw someone out on me so I can get hurt!'.

"Excuse me?" she questioned, trying not to sound nervous, but not entirely sure she was successful at it, because he just sort of gave her a knowing look before speaking.

"I said walk me out there. You will go out there, be out there for the introductions, then go to the back once the match starts," he told her, and Eve started to nod at that, then froze, turning to look at him again. He'd stepped back from her now, so he wasn't in her face, but he was still close enough to touch, and she found herself nearly reaching out to grab at his shirt and make him look at her, but she stopped herself in time, placing the hand she'd lifted against the divas' title belt that rested over her shoulder instead.

"The Royal Rumble match doesn't have introductions," she said quietly, and he looked over at her again, arching a brow.

"Not usually. Not unless you're the first or second entrant," he told her, making his way over to his bag and pulling out a piece of paper, flipping it open so that she could see the number that was written there. CM Punk was the first entrant in the Royal Rumble. "I always knew I was number one. Just didn't expect it for tonight."

Eve stared at him for a moment, trying to wrap her mind around it all. CM Punk was, after all, the leader of the New Nexus. If he wanted to, he could have easily coerced one of them into switching numbers with him... Anything would be better than being number one. Even if the best number one of them had was twelve or thirteen, it was better than being the first one into the match. Especially this year, when the board - or whoever decided these sorts of things - had decided that this year would be a forty-man Royal Rumble instead of the usual thirty. In order to win the match from the number one spot, he would have to last longer than any man had ever lasted before... An incredibly difficult task, even if he did have a bunch of goons coming into the match to help him. He still had to start things off by himself. Unless...

The diva's gaze slid around the room. "Who has number two?" she questioned, half-expecting it to be one of the other New Nexus members. Because if that was the case, then it changed things a bit. Yes, Punk would still have to last a very long time in order to win the whole thing, but whoever came into the match as the number three guy would find himself very quickly in a two-on-one... If they kept eliminating competitors as they came, then it would make things a lot easier on them.

Punk shook his head. "I don't know. It's none of us," he said, looking like he knew exactly what she'd been thinking... Something he did quite often, which Eve found altogether frustrating. The last thing she wanted was for CM Punk to know what she was thinking.

"Surprising," she muttered, and he smirked slightly.

"As I said earlier... You'll walk me out for the match. Stay there until it starts, then come to the back. I want you back here in this locker room. Once the last one of us is in the match, lock the door and stay here. I don't trust the Corre, and you shouldn't either. Not to mention the fact that LayCool is probably on the rampage after the way you spoiled their plans."

"I can handle LayCool," Eve said, carefully putting her title with her things because she didn't need to carry it out there when she walked Punk out.

He smirked at her. "I'm sure you can. I might even enjoy seeing that at some point. But for now... It's just about time for the Rumble. So come on," he said, heading for the door, pausing just outside of it to make sure that Eve was going to come with him, his gaze meeting hers, one brow arched as he looked at her expectantly.

With a sigh, Eve headed for the door.


End file.
